New Jersey Devils Prospect Update Week 29 - Start to the AHL Playoffs

It was an exciting week to be an Albany Devils fan. With their first three games in the Calder Cup Playoffs, we saw some success and some disappointment. Certain players are really stepping up to help the team succeed while others need to find their groove in game four.

Albany - Regular Season

Goalies:

Albany - Playoffs:

Albany News:

• The Albany Devils trail the St. John's IceCaps in the first round of the playoffs 1-2. It is a best of five series, so they will be facing elimination tomorrow night.
• In the Devils' first playoff game, they fell 2-1 to the IceCaps in a heartbreaker. In what looked to be a definite 1-1 game heading to overtime, St. John's scored with just 23.1 seconds remaining in regulation. Joe Whitney scored the lone goal for Albany on the power play while Keith Kinkaid made 30 saves. IceCaps goalie, Michael Hutchinson made 25 saves to help St. John's earn a 1-0 lead in the series. You can check out the highlights here:

• The following night was a much different story for the Devils. Kinkaid made 30 saves to lead the Albany Devils to their first playoff win with a 4-2 victory over the IceCaps. 20 of Kinkaid's 30 saves were in the third period including an incredible effort during a minute and 24 second 5-0n-3 PK. Reid Boucher, Stefan Matteau, Mattias Tedenby, and Scott Timmins scored the four goals. The Devils had a 34-32 advantage in shots and scored three power play goals. Here are the highlights:

• With the series tied at one, the Devils fell 1-0 to the IceCaps in game three last night. After a huge win in an impressive effort, last night was quite the opposite. Kinkaid did everything he could, making 34 saves but the Devils couldn't get the puck behind Hutchinson who made 24 saves to earn the shutout. Other than Kinkaid, the penalty kill was extremely impressive going six-for-six.
• As you can tell from the notes above, Keith Kinkaid has been stellar so far these playoffs. Aside from letting in the GWG with just over 20 seconds left in game one, he has given his team a chance to win every game. He hasn't let more than two goals by him in each of his first three career playoff games in the AHL.
• Jon Merrill took three minor penalties last night. While the PK was perfect, that isn't a guarantee every night - he needs to be more disciplined.

Junior Prospects:

• Outside of Albany, there is just one Devils' prospect left in the playoff race. Both Damon Severson and Myles Bell were eliminated from the WHL Playoffs when the Kelowna Rockets fell to the Portland Winterhawks in five games.
• While the Rockets made it quite far in the playoffs without Bell, Kelowna's leading scorer, but he was sorely missed during the quick series against Portland. While Bell was missed, Severson lead the team in scoring during the playoffs with 18 points (4g, 14a) in 14 games played.
• In the OHL, Ben Thomson and the North Bay Battalion will be facing the Guelph Storm in the final round of the OHL Playoffs. Both teams got through their last series quickly with North Bay sweeping the Oshawa Generals and the Storm defeating the Erie Otters in five. The Guelph storm will be a tough opponent for the Battalion - they won each series in just five games. Here is a full preview of the final matchup.
• In the ECHL, Maxime Clermont has been playing with the Orlando Solar Bear. They were eliminated from the playoffs after falling to the Cincinnati Cyclones in six games. He had a 1-2 record with a 2.03 GAA and .926 SAV% in three playoff games. He sustained a lower-body injury during game four of the series.
  

Do you think the Devils can come back to win their series against the IceCaps? Who do you think needs to step up to make that happen? Who was your first star of the three games played in the series, so far? Who do you have winning in the OHL Playoffs? Please leave your thoughts and comments below. Thanks for reading!